Microprocessor controllers have been used with success in motor vehicle control and communications systems. Speech synthesizers for example, provide audible warnings to a vehicle operator. Mobile telephone units have been and are increasingly used to conduct one's business from an automobile. Microprocessor technology has made possible use of small onboard computers with cathode ray tube displays for apprising the user of the status of his or her vehicle and also facilitate interactive control of the vehicle.
The speech synthesizer makes less likely the situation in which a user has been warned of a problem but fails to perceive the warning. Thus, speech synthesizers used in an automobile apprise the user of a lack in oil pressure, a failure in the headlights, an unbuckled seatbelt, a door that was ajar, or any other warning. The speech synthesizer has been an effective one way communication link to the user.
A cathode ray tube, positioned in close proximity to the user can not only apprise the user regarding the status of his vehicle i.e. speed etc. but can be used as a tactile input for entering control functions. The CRT unit can include a touch sensitive screen whereby the user is prompted by visual outputs from the screen to enter control commands at the screen. Touch screen systems have been successfully implemented on computer controlled displays in the prior art and there is no apparent reason they can not be incorporated into an automobile.
Cellular phone systems are being used to expand the communications capability of a vehicle operator for both business and personal use. Unlike prior art mobile telephones, the cellular phone can connect with a remote telephone without operator intervention. This feature of cellular phone operation is anticipated to make the use of phones in automobiles much more prevalent than in the past. More and more geographic locations are being equipped with cellular phone capability to accommodate this perceived demand.
These enhancements in technology have caused concern that the growing sophistication of vehicle operation may paradoxically have an adverse affect on an operator's ability to control his or her vehicle. If the driver's attention is focused on a computer screen or telephone inside the vehicle, his attention on what is happening outside the vehicle is diminished. As a vehicle operator drives the car, there is a temptation to attempt to communicate via the cellular phone. To do so, the operator must remove his attention from his driving activities to dial the phone. Specifically, he must direct his attention away from the road to a pushbutton key pad on the phone to dial his intended number. This may also involve the act of looking up the number in a notepad or the like. Thus, the operator's attention is momentarily disrupted as he places the call.
It is illegal in many states for one to operate a phone from a moving car. To comply with this law, the operator must pull to the side of the road before making his phone call. In practice, it is clear that drivers are using their phone systems without regard to the safety hazards created by such use. Unless and until motor vehicle operation becomes completely automated so that collisions are avoided automatically through vehicle sensors or routing control schemes, increased sophistication can have a deleterious impact on road safety.